Thomas Lurz

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Thomas Lurz, two-time Olympian

Thomas Lurz and brother/coach Stefan Lurz

Thomas Lurz, world champion

Thomas Lurz with Colin Hill and coach/brother Stefan Lurz at the 2012 London Olympic Games

Thomas Lurz of Germany is considered to be one of the best contemporary open water swimmers in the world. He won the silver medal at the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is coached by his older brother Stefan Lurz.

His track record of success is extraordinarily impressive, built on the strength of his renowned training program with 25 international podium finishes to his name (Olympic Games, world championships and European championships), not including FINA World Cup medals. He competed for Germany at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 1500-meter freestyle, but he was the world champion in the 10K open water swim in 2004. In 2005, he won gold in the 5K world championship when he was jointly awarded the Swimming World Magazine Open Water Swimmers of the Year. He also won the 2011 Swimming World Magazine Open Water Swimmer of the Year, was nominated for the 2011 and 2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year, and participated in the Battle Training.

International Success

Lurz won the bronze medal in the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver at the 2012 London Olympic Games as well as gold medals at the 2005 FINA World Swimming Championships in Montréal in the 5K open water, in the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne in the 5K open water, in the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome in the 5K open water, and in the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome in the 10K open water, a silver medal in the 2005 FINA World Swimming Championships in Montréal in the 10K open water and in the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne in the 10K open water.

He also won gold medals in the 2004 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Dubai in the 10K open water, in the 2006 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Naples in the 5K open water, in the 2006 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Naples in the 10K open water, in the 2008 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Seville in the 5K open water, in the 2010 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Roberval in the 5K open water, and the 2011 FINA World Swimming Championships in Shanghai in the 5K open water.

He also won bronze medals in the 2002 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Sharm el-Sheikh in the 5K open water, in the 2008 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Seville in the 10K open water, and in the 2006 European Swimming Championships in Budapest in the 5K open water. He won gold medals at the 2006 European Swimming Championships in Budapest in the 10K open water, in the 2008 European Swimming Championships in Dubrovnik in the 10K open water, 2010 European Swimming Championships in Budapest in the 10K open water.

He won silver medals in the 2002 European Swimming Championships in Berlin in the 5K open water and at the 2005 Summer Universiade in Izmir in the 1500-meter freestyle. He won bronze medals in the 2008 European Swimming Championships in Dubrovnik in both the 5K open water and 5K Team Time Trial.

Thomas will compete in the 2012 London Olympic 10K Marathon Swim by virtue of his 2nd place finish at the 2011 FINA World Championships in Shanghai, China.

He also won the 2009 and 2011 FINA 10KM Marathon Swimming World Cup series.

2012 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim Results

1. Oussama Mellouli of Tunisia - 1:49:55.1
2. Thomas Lurz of Germany - 1:49:58.5
3. Richard Weinberger of Canada - 1:50:00.3
4. Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece - 1:50:05.3
5. Daniel Fogg of Great Britain - 1:50:37.3
6. Sergey Bolshakov of Russia - 1:50:40.1
7. Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia - 1:50:42.8
8. Andreas Waschburger of Germany - 1:50:44.4
9. Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria - 1:50:46.2
10. Alex Meyer of the USA - 1:50:48.2
11. Julien Sauvage of France - 1:50:51.3
12. Troyden Prinsloo of South Africa - 1:50:52.9
13. Erwin Maldonado of Venezuela - 1:50:52.9
14. Igor Chervynskiy of Ukraine - 1:50:56.9
15. Yasunari Hirai of Japan - 1:51:20.1
16. Brian Ryckeman of Belgium - 1:51:27.1
17. Valerio Cleri of Italy - 1:51:29.5
18. Csaba Gercsak of Hungary - 1:51:30.9
19. Arseniy Lavrentyev of Portugal - 1:51:37.2
20. Ky Hurst of Australia - 1:51:41.3
21. Ivan Enderica Ochoa of Ecuador - 1:52:28.6
22. Yuriy Kudinov of Kazakhstan - 1:52:59.0
23. Francisco Jose Hervas of Spain - 1:53:27.8
24. Mazen Aziz Metwaly of Egypt - 1:54:33.2
25. Benjamin Schulte of Guam - 2:03:35.1

2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year Nomination

Lurz was nominated for the 2012 World Open Water Swimming Man of the Year award. His nomination reads,

For a decade, he has remained at or near the top of the FINA and Olympic worlds of open water swimming. Fast and fit, strategic and savvy, Thomas Lurz has won numerous world championships, 2 Olympic medals while losing only a handful of races in nearly every condition and continent. But win or lose, he shakes the hands of his fellow competitors, smiles at the crowds, and remains a gentleman in all respects. His athleticism and preparedness, his demeanor on land and his actions in the water have set the tone for the top echelon of elite professional marathon swimmers. The younger swimmers look at his style and learn from his racing tactics. They understand his tenacity and they respect his statesmanship he has achieved as an ambassador of the sport. Eloquent and expressive, Lurz takes the time to be a role model while continuing to be among the fastest in the world. For his decade of success, for his Olympic silver medal performance, and for setting the standard of professionalism in the sport, Thomas Lurz is a worthy nominee for the 2012 WOWSA Open Water Swimming Man of the Year.